Abstract
This study aims to depict the image of the Jew by two different authors of various periods of time. Undoubtedly, the Image of the Jew had been discussed and depicted in many plays of famous and prominent authors, especially during The Renaissance Era, such as Christopher Marlowe in his brilliant artistic work The Jew of Malta. In addition to, William Shakespeare’s glorious piece of art The Merchant of Venice which is described by Dr. Mahmoud Shetywi, in his article “The Merchant of Venice in Arabic” as the play that is considered till now as the most prominent Elizabethan comedy that has been studied, performed and adapted by many universal and Arab modern and contemporary authors ; who one of them is the Yemeni author and playwright Ali Ahmed Bakathir with his adaptation of The Merchant of Venice which is called The New Shylock , in which he relates the traditional Elizabethan image of the Jew to the issue of (The Arab – Israeli Conflict). So, this study endeavors to show the genius dramatic techniques, that are used by both authors and the effect of Shakespeare on Bakathier. The New Shylock can be considered an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice with modern modifications and new concepts that serve the purpose of Bakathir. Accordingly, the researchers will rely on the theory of adaptation in excavating the treasures of both texts. Moreover, there are various (psychological, political, social and anthropological) aspects of depth that they tried to convey within their creation of the character of Shylock and what does this character really imply of the essential issues, to criticize and relate them to their own societies and times.
Highlights
Adaptations are common nowadays in media and literature, though adapting was not something new as Shakespeare himself adapted some of his plays from history or folktales
The New Shylock (“Shylock Al-Jadeed”) or Two Plays in One Play. These two titles refer to the same literary work, which was written by Ali Ahmed Bakathir in 1944 and published to the public in 1945.it deals with such an urgent and serious problem like (The Arab- Israeli Conflict), in addition, the play reflects Shakespeare’s influence and impact on Bakathir’s style in writing which contribute to make this play as one of the greatest Arab revolutionary literary works, that highlight the ArabJewish relations and situations before and after the catastrophe of 1948, which witnessed the erection of Zionism and declaring Palestine as a Homeland for all Jews in the world according to the Balfour’s Declaration, which is extremely has the same significance and function as the “pound of the flesh” in The Merchant of Venice
Shylock seems to be more specific than Shakespeare's Shylock; as long as Bakathir's focus is to embody Zionism through this character with all its aspects in order to emphasize the danger of Zionism upon the Arab world, which again, reveals the essence of the Arab-Israeli conflict refers to the Arabs' resistance to Zionism as a regime or organization, which aims to usurp the Arab lands and in the same time defeats all the Zionist false pretenses, that the essential reason behind the Arabs' resistance for them refers to their different religions or doctrines, which is one of the major themes or messages that Bakathir aims to convey throughout his play
Summary
Adaptations are common nowadays in media and literature, though adapting was not something new as Shakespeare himself adapted some of his plays from history or folktales. The Arab authors, including Ali Ahmed Bakathir, intend to use Shakespeare’s Shylock as a basis for their literary works that depict Jews They considered Shylock as a prototype of The Zionist Zealotry, and they interpret the play as an embodiment of what Zionism really is. One may agree with this writer in the point that emphasizes the Anti-Semitic attitude that the Elizabethan playwrights intended to reflect through their depiction of the image of the Jew, especially, Shakespeare as he depicted Shylock as a cunning, playful and unmerciful Jew. Zeno Ackermann, a German literary critic says that , German productions of The Merchant of Venice during the Second World War delves into the controversial Shakespearean play within the context of the Holocaust. The same excuse is used by Bakathir’sThe New Shylock, when Shylock justifies the Zionist actions and motivations as a natural right to erect a homeland for all the Jews in Palestine, by making use of the (Balfour Declaration), which is similar to the (Bond of Flesh)
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